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Re: Re: Genx c14n?

• To: David Tolpin <dvd@d...>
• Subject: Re: Re: Genx c14n?
• From: Elliotte Rusty Harold <elharo@m...>
• Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2004 17:53:33 -0500
• Cc: xml-dev@l...
• In-reply-to: <200401262015.i0QKFRMe040000@a...>
• References: <200401262015.i0QKFRMe040000@a...>

At 12:15 AM +0400 1/27/04, David Tolpin wrote:
>>  [Tim Bray]
>>   >Would anyone like to take this opportunity to shout "Yes, the world needs
>>  this!"
>>   >or "No, the denominator of the cost/benefit ratio is zero!".
>>
>>  Yes, the world needs this!
>>
>
>I've realized that just saying "yes" is easy. In my opinion, the world
>need this more than
>
>   - pretty printing
>   - collapsing empty tags
>   - ability to output doctype or xml declaration
>   - ability to use multiple encodings
>

It's no like these are mutually exclusive (In an API, as opposed to a 
document). However, I personally have seen no evidence of users 
asking for canonical output. I have seen frequent cases of users 
asking for various froms of pretty printing, the  ability to output 
doctype or xml declaration, and the ability to use multiple 
encodings. In fact, I am convinced that any XML API that does not 
offer these features will be D.O.A. except for the community that 
specifically wishes to sue canonical XML.  In effect, you will have 
created a canonical XML API, not the generic API you were aiming for.

I also note, as proof by example, that pretty much none of the Java 
APIs you cited as making this project unnecessary for Java provide 
canonical XML. (Well, XOM does and DOM3 may optionally do that) but 
what people mostly use and all the streaming APIs produce 
non-canonical XML. This does not seem to cause most people problems 
most of the time. Canonical XML is a very special purpose thing, 
which is fine as an output option, but which should not be enabled by 
default.
-- 

   Elliotte Rusty Harold
   elharo@m...
   Effective XML (Addison-Wesley, 2003)
   http://www.cafeconleche.org/books/effectivexml
   http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN%3D0321150406/ref%3Dnosim/cafeaulaitA

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